Box-fastener



(No Model.)

0. E. SPEAKER.

BOX FASTENER.

Patented June 2,1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. SPEAKER, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO HIMSELF, JOHN B. IIOAGLAND, VALTER MCCOMB, JAMES R. MCILWVAINE, AND \V. M. CASSETTY, ALL OF NASHVILLE,

TENNESSEE.

BOX-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,516, dated June 2, 1891.

Application filed March 28, 1890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. SPEAKER, of Louisville, in the county of J eiferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg-Case Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention has for its object to provide a durable and inexpensive fastener for egg cases, crates, boxes, &c., which cannot be easily broken off or pulled out without destroying the case itself.

The invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, to be hereinafter described, and pointed out particularly in the claim at the end of this specification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the front and top of an egg-case having a fastening constructed in accordance with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2is a similar view with the top of the case closed. Fig. 3 is a view showing in perspective the cleats or cross-pieces applied to the top and front of the case or box, the one to be applied to the top being shown from both front and rear. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fastener detached.

Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The particular form of the case orbox itself forms no part of my present invention, and therefore will not be herein specifically described, it being sufficient to say that across the front of the top a cleat C is attached in any suitable manner, preferably by screws or nails, and that across the top of the front is attached a similar cleat or cross-piece B.

In the cleat attached to the top or cover is formeda cross-cut c, extendingabout half-way through the same, and from the front of this cross-cut a groove 0 is formed in the top of the cleat or in the side which bears against the cover. In the co-operating cleat B a simi- Serial No. 345,793. (No model.)

lar crosscut is formed; butinstead of having a groove, as in the upper one, the portion of the cleat immediately adjacent the cross-cut is formed into an incline-that is to say, the wood at each side of the cut is beveled down until inclined surfaces 19 are formed, for a purpose which will presently appear.

The catch or fastener proper is formed of a relatively-stiff piece of spring-wire, one end E of which is sharpened and bent at right angles, thereby adapting it to be driven into the cleat, as shown in Figs. 1 and From the sharpened point a length of the wire D corresponding to the length of the groove 0 is left straight, the body of the wire being then bent at right angles into substantially the plane of the point and a sufficient length left straight to reach from the top of cleat O to the bottom of cleat B, the end being then bent at right angles or into the plane of the straight section D and cleat O, and is then formed into a loop or hook II.

To apply the catch or fastener the point E is driven into the wood at the end of the groove 0, the straight section D, which constitutes the spring, then lying within said groove, and the downwardly-projecting portion is passed through the cross-cut, after which the cleat is secured in place on the under side of the boxcover, thereby preventing all danger of the fastener being pulled out. hen the cover is in position, it will be seen that as it closes the hook or loop H rides out the inclines d, and when the cover is just at the closed point slips over the cleat and catches below the same, thereby preventing the opening of the cover until the loop is drawn forward. The long straight section of wire D forms a most eiiicient spring, and while permitting the lower end or catch to have a wide and easy range of movement without permanent distortion at once returns the same to normal position, and by arranging the catch in the plane of the cleats no amount of strain tending to open the top will cause the same to release. It will be further noted that the cross-cut in the upper cleat is open toward the inside of the case or rear side of the cleat, and the end of the cutwill therefore act as a stop to prevent the catch from being bent too far forward by accident orcarelessness-in openinggthesa-m ex Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new is The combination, with the egg-case or similar receptacle having two cleats, one secured to the'cover' and provided with the 'longitudi nal groove in' itsupp'er face' and'i-cross cut in its rear face,an'd the-lower -one secured'tothe front of the receptacle and having the crosscut and inclined surfaces in its outer face, of the fastener having the straight portion'securedwithin the-groove in the upper cleat, the -d'ownward'ly extending portionpassing through the cross-cut in said cleat and terminating in a hook or 100p adapted to ride out the incline in the lower cleat and permit the shank to pass through the cross-cut therein, fsub'stantiai ly as and :for the pu-rposeset forth;

CHARLES E.- SPEAKER.

Witnesses:

HEINRICH RUDIG, SAML. GFROERER. 

